Guilloché, grand feu enamel, fumé, meteorite, champlevé: each belongs to a different tradition, requires different tools and specialized training, and fails in different ways at different rates. A watch dial is a small surface, rarely more than 30mm across, but the number of distinct crafts that can be applied to it is remarkable. They are not points on a single scale of refinement. Each explores a different vertical of craftsmanship and specialty.What follows is an account of what each technique is, how it's made, and what makes it difficult.GuillochéGuilloché is engine turning: the engraving of repeating geometric patterns into a metal surface traditionally using a rose engine lathe. The machine is mechanical, controlled by a system of cams and guides that determine the path of a cutting tool across the dial blank. The operator adjusts pressure, speed, and the angle of each pass. The pattern that results, whether clous de Paris, barleycorn, soleil, or wave, depends on the combination of the cam profile and how the operator runs the machine.